Nathaniel thomas



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

NATHANIEL THOMAS, OF EAST DIXFIELD, MAINE.

APPLE-SLICER.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL THOMAS, of East DiXeld, in the county ofOxford and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Device forSlicing Apples; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figurel, is a longitudinal vertical section of my improvement, (m), Fig. 2,indicating the plane of sect-ion. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view ofditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

This invention has for its object the slicing of apples by a simplemeans that may be readily applied to many of the apple parers in use;the invention forming an inexpen- 'sive attachment to a parer, andrequiring but a single longitudinal movement of the arbor on which theapple is placed and pared, in order that t-he work may be performed.

My invention consists in the construction of apple-Slicers in the mannerherein described and represented.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a base or platform, on which two parallel ways (a), (a),are secured. On these ways a sliding frame B, is fitted and allowed toslide freely back and forth thereon. In the frame B, a horizontal arboror shaft O, is fitted or placed, and al. lowed to turn freely thereon.On one end of the shaft a crank (b), is placed, and a fork (c), isplaced on the opposite end.

On the base A, two uprights (d), (CZ), are secured. These uprights areplaced quite near each other, the space between them being equal inwidth to the thickness of the core. To the upper and lower part of eachupright (CZ), a bar (e), is attached. These bars are placed angularlywith the uprights, and gradually diverge from their points of contactwith the uprights to their opposite ends. The bars (e), are notperfectly straight, but are bent in zigzag form; and vertical knives(f), are attached to the bars (e), said knives being all in planes whichare parallel with the uprights (d), so that a set7 or rake will be giveneach knife. This position of the knives is obtained in 18,476, datedOctober 20, 1857.

consequence of bending the bars (c), in zigi Zag form, as previouslyreferred to.

To one of the uprights (d), a plate (g), is attached, said plateprojecting from the side of the upright opposite to that where its bars(e), are secured. is in the same plane as the upright, as shown clearlyin Fig. 2, and its upper and lower edges are inclined so that the plateis of taper form, the upper and lower edges gradually approaching eachother from' their inner to their outer ends. At the outer end of theplate (g), a square or rectangular tube (h), is formed said tube beingin line with the space between the uprights (d), (d).

To the upper and lower edges of the plate (g), horizontal knives areattached. These knives are placed in parallel planes, as will be seen byreferring to Fig. 1, for the same reason as that previously assigned forso placing the knives (f), viz: to give them a set or rake.

To the upright (CD-the one 'opposite to that which has the plate (g),attached, a spring plate is attached. The outer end of this plate iscurved inward and projects between the upper and lower set-s of knives(i), as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows: The apple on the fork (c), shown by dottedcircle, being pared, the frame B, is shoved on the ways (a), (a), andthe arbor O, is moved longitudinally, the apple being forced between thetwo sets of knives (f), and having its opposite sides completely sliced,each knife (f), cutting a slice, the thickness of the slices being equalto the spaces between the knives. The upper and lower parts of the appleare sliced in a similar manner by the knives (i), as the apple is shovedbetween them, and a square core is left on the fork, which core entersthe tube (la), and the curved end of the spring plate (j), passes behindthe core, and as the arbor is drawn `back retains the core or preventsit from following the fork. When the second or succeeding apple issliced, its core forces its predecessor out of the tube It will beunderstood that the arbor or shaft O, may belong to or form a portion ofan apple parer, the apple being forced on the fork (c), by any of theknown means employed for the purpose. This in fact is the design of theinvention, and it will add greatly to its importance.

The plate rllhere are many apple parers to which this invention may beapplied Without any ditliculty Whatever, and Without interfering Withthe paring operation.

I am aware that apple-Slicers and corers have been made which consistedof a tube having straight knives placed radially Within. Ain example isseen in R. Mitchells patent, April '18th,-1838g and I therefore dis-Claim them. In devices of this character, the fruit is cut into piecesthat are of unequal thickness at different parts. Thus the inner part ofsuch pieces Will he quite thin, While the outer portion is very thick;and the larger the size ot the fruit, the greater' will be thedifference in the thickness of the pieces. l3nt by having the knivesarranged as in my improvement, the fruit is readily out up into thinslices that are all of an equal thickness, no mat-ter Whether the fruitis large or small. The drying of the fruit is thus materiallyfacilitated and improved. When the slices are all of an equal thickness, the same degree ot" heat and same length of exposure to the dryingat1n0sphere Will eure all the pieces 01E a given quantity of fruit inthe same length of time. But When the pieces are of 'unequal thickness,the drying will be imperfect, because portions of the pieces will bedried more than others; and the exposure Whichy is necessary to thecuring of one portion of the pieces is not long enough to dry theremaining portions, and vice Versa. Thus the quality of the fruit Whendried is more or less impaired. When the slicing knives are arrangedradially, as before described, they all out at the same time, whichcauses the apple, especially if it is small and soft, to be jammed orpressed. The juice is thus made to escape, which injures the quality andlessens the quantity of the fruit. In my device, the knives are arrangedone before the other, so that they cannot all cut at the same time, andthe apple passed between them with ease Without jamming the fruit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

The construction of apple-Slicers in the manner herein described andrepresented.

NATHANIEL THOMAS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE S. HOLMAN, JOHN L. HOLMAN.

